Decompression Sickness (DCS) is a potential risk of scuba diving. However, it also can occur in aviators, miners, astronauts, mountain climbers, or people who work at high or low altitudes. As people return quickly to a normal altitude from these heights or depths, gas bubbles can form in the bloodstream, which cause dangerous symptoms throughout the body. These people can have extreme joint pain, which often is referred to as “the bends,” as well as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, visual problems, ringing in the ears, chest pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms, which potentially can be life-threatening.
HBOT treatment can be of critical importance in such cases. In fact, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the primary treatment for DCS. It immediately reduces the amount of bubbles in the bloodstream, fills the tissues with oxygen, and reduces dangerous swelling.
